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Managing Demand and Availability


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As a new Seller on Fiverr, the idea of having a full inbox and a steady influx of orders is very exciting! However, the reality can quickly get overwhelming. Once your gigs start to gain some attention, you will notice a significant increase in business. You must learn how to manage Buyer demand and your personal availability, so you can give each order the necessary attention. Otherwise, you risk a drop in Buyer satisfaction, order cancellations, late deliveries, and negative reviews - all of which impact your business.

 

Learning to manage your workload will also help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. Whether your freelance business is your main source of income or a side hustle, taking on too many orders at once can cause you to overwork yourself. Your mental health and well-being are critical to your personal and professional success.


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Managing Incoming Orders
Although Fiverr Buyers can head to your Gig page and place an order without warning, there are still ways to manage incoming orders:

 

       1. Extend turnaround times
Offering quick turnaround times is a great way to increase the value of your services. However, if you are struggling to deliver on time, you may submit work that is not up to your standards. Go into your Gig settings and extend each timer by one day to better set expectations and give yourself a time buffer. You can always change it back once you learn to work faster and more efficiently.

 

       2. Communicate honestly
When communicating with prospective Buyers, be upfront and honest about your current workload. Let them know that you are very interested in working together and that you can deliver as soon as [X date]. 

It can be tempting to make exceptions for Buyers who are willing to pay more for extra-fast delivery, but it’s important to prioritize your mental health and orders that have already begun. It’s okay to let Buyers know that you are unable to fulfill their request right now and would be happy to help them out in the future.

 

       3. Request an extension
If a Buyer places an order before you have a chance to discuss your availability, you may request to extend the delivery date. When doing so, be sure to communicate that you value their business and want to give their order the attention it deserves. Most often, Buyers will appreciate the fact that you know your limits and will take the time you need to deliver a high-quality product.

 

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Managing Availability
If the volume of orders is too high, and you’ve already followed the steps above to manage your workload, adjust your availability. Here are tips for taking advantage of the Set Availability feature:

 

      1. Use it to catch up on orders
If you need to take a break from answering new messages and receiving new orders, you can essentially pause your profile by setting yourself as Unavailable. If you have the capacity, you can choose to still accept messages from new Buyers and let them know that you aren’t accepting new orders at the moment, but you would be happy to get an order going with an extended delivery time.

 

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      2. Take some personal time
It’s necessary to take time for yourself, your family, and other important things in your life! When you need to focus on things unrelated to work, set your profile to Unavailable for as much time as you need. 

 

Depending on how long you’re away, you may realize that your ranking might have changed once you are back, which is normal as your competitors may continue to complete orders and get buyer satisfaction responses while you are away. As you complete the orders your ranking can go back to where it was before.

 

In addition to managing your incoming orders and availability, you can lean on others for support! If you frequently realize that you have more work than you can handle, it might be time to build a team that you can lean on. There are other excellent Sellers on Fiverr, such as virtual assistants or people in your industry, to whom you can delegate tasks.

 

Want to read more? Check out these other articles:

 

Edited by adrian_success
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